Media

Keith Ikin appointed as Chief Executive

03 November 2017

The Māori Television Board has announced the appointment of Keith Ikin (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Apakura, Ngāpuhi, Whanganui) as Chief Executive today.

“We are delighted with the appointment of Mr Ikin who brings twenty years of leadership, management and governance experience in organisations with a focus on Māori development. He is a fluent speaker of te reo Māori and has a successful track record of achievement in his previous roles,” says Board Chair Georgina te Heuheu.

“Mr Ikin has been in the role of Chief Operating Officer at Whakaata Māori for six months and in that time has overseen the successful move to East Tāmaki and the opening of our new premises. Prior to that he has been Director for the Māori Land Service, Director of Māori Development at Landcare Research, Acting Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executive at Waiariki Institute of Technology. He has a breadth and depth of experience as well as iwi and community relationships that will serve us well. We welcome Mr Ikin in his new role.”

Mr Ikin is currently Deputy Chair for the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board and Maniapoto Fish Trust but will step down from both roles.

“The key focus now is to ensure that we continue to fulfil our responsibility of contributing significantly to the revitalization of the Māori language and culture through engaging content via traditional television and a range of multi-platform options - so that all New Zealanders have access to the language and culture,” says Mrs te Heuheu.

Keith Ikin says he is passionate about te reo Māori and honoured to take up the role with an organisation tasked with the promotion and protection of the Māori language and culture.

“There are exciting opportunities ahead for further collaboration with key partners to ensure our content has the widest possible audience and that our language and culture reaches as many New Zealanders as possible,” he says.

Early in his career Mr Ikin spent five years in Māori radio broadcasting. He has also been Acting CEO of the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board and Director of the School of Business at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. He was also the Human Resource Manager at Te Ohu Kaimoana. Keith Ikin takes up the Chief Executive position on Monday 6 November 2017.